Ultimate Frisbee is a sport played with a plastic disc and seven players on a team. There are no referees, so maintaining the spirit of the game is vital and is determined by the players. With that, though, Ultimate is extremely rewarding—there is no feeling quite like faking out a defender then sprinting and diving to catch the Frisbee.
Ultimate is played on a 40 yard by 70 yard field and is in some ways like football in that the object of the game is to catch the Frisbee in the end zone. In Ultimate, however, when you have the disc you are not allowed to move with it—you may only pass—and play doesn’t stop until a point is scored. When the Frisbee is dropped by one team the other team picks it up and plays it. The game either ends when a team scores 15 points or after 90 minutes of play.
The Denver Waldorf School’s Ultimate Frisbee team only began competing last year. Initially the school offered the sport as a small elective class, but interest grew when a senior chose Ultimate Frisbee for his senior project, a Waldorf requirement that involves many hours of focus on a particular subject and which culminates in a report and presentation. Out of 57 students in the high school, 18 played. This year out, of 69 high school students, 20 are playing.
The Spartans struggled initially last year and lost their first four games. But when it came time for the state tournament the team was well-prepared. The Spartans ended up taking third place in the Colorado’s youth second division, or DII, which is the less skilled division. The team’s final overall record was 5-6. “To take a bunch of people that didn’t know what they were doing and take third was unexpected and amazing,” says Matt Woodhull, coach of the Ultimate team and Denver Waldorf School's community development coordinator.
This year the Spartans began their seven-game regular season with a 1-2 record. However, Woodhull hopes the team will be able to play in the DI state tournament, the more advanced division. “We continue to get better,” he said. “Every practice we become more skilled than just athletic.”
Ultimate Frisbee is a game of constant flow. The cutters—the potential receivers—move in and out in an attempt to make room for a pass from the handler—the player in possession of the disc who must attempt to pass. The connection between the two is beautiful. Those two offensive positions as well as the requirements of defense mean players must use a great deal of speed, agility and hand-eye coordination.
Ultimate is an intensely competitive if not a physical sport. Players aren't allowed to shove other players or interfere with them in any way. Instead of a battle for strength, what results is a battle of pure skill. Since the spirit of the game, in the absence of referees, is so important, above all Ultimate Frisbee encourages players to be fair.
"Ultimate is more of a connection game, instead of a separate game," said Andres Laris, a Waldorf junior who is on the team. "Players support each other."
Orion Smith is in the 11th grade at the Denver Waldorf School.
